Jagtar Singh Johal Granted Bail After Nine Years in Indian Prison

Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton, Scotland, has been granted bail after being detained in India for nine years. Johal was arrested in November 2017 in the Punjab region, just weeks after his wedding in the country, in connection with alleged terror offenses.

Indian authorities accuse Johal of travelling to Paris in 2013 and providing approximately £3,000 to the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), an organization alleged to have carried out violent attacks in pursuit of a separate Sikh state. The funds, it is claimed, were used to finance weapons for the attempted assassinations of political and religious figures in Punjab in 2016 and 2017. Indian officials assert that Johal is a member of the KLF and had full knowledge of and participated in the conspiracy.

Conversely, Johal's supporters contend that he was targeted for his blogging about alleged human rights abuses against the Sikh community in India. They also claim he was coerced into signing a false confession.

Johal's family has stated that no concrete evidence has been presented against him and that the case relies on the testimony of unreliable witnesses. A United Nations panel recognized his imprisonment as arbitrary detention in 2022, and Johal has alleged he was subjected to torture, a claim Indian authorities have previously denied, maintaining that due process is being followed.

Last year, Johal was acquitted in a case where he faced accusations of financially supporting the KLF. However, he remained in custody due to federal charges in eight other cases, some of which carry the potential for the death penalty. His legal team argues that these cases are substantially similar and should be dismissed.

After numerous hearings over the past nine years, the bail order concluded that the trial is unlikely to conclude soon. Johal's brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, who has actively lobbied governments for his release, described the bail decision as a significant milestone and a step in the right direction.

The decision was also welcomed by politicians and the legal charities Redress and Reprieve, which represent Johal in the UK. Dan Dolan, deputy executive director of Reprieve, called the release an important moment but emphasized that Johal still faces the death penalty on what they describe as “trumped up charges.” He stressed the need to continue efforts to secure Johal's return home.

Redress noted that Johal's release from prison does not negate the suffering caused by nine years of arbitrary detention.